horror story

noun

: an account of an unsettling or unfortunate occurrence

heard horror stories about recent layoffs

also : something unsettling or unfortunate

his childhood was a horror story

Examples of horror story in a Sentence

We've all heard horror stories about airlines losing people's luggage.

Her childhood was a horror story.

Recent Examples on the Web

Complaints and horror stories about permitting delays have permeated the U.S. energy space in recent years, but such delays are not a part of the story for this specific facility. —David Blackmon, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

Residents of the greater Toronto area now share horror stories of violent home invasions. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025

Owners shared horror stories of their cats and dogs going to the bathroom inside the house. —John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025

The trailer, out January 9, promises a full examination of Diddy’s legacy, including his impact on the music business and horror stories. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for horror story

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• category
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory